Apparatus for boring a pit

ABSTRACT

Method and apparatus for boring a pit in which earth chips one removed from a pit surface by means of a spray of pressurized fluid which is injected through nozzle means provided adjacent to a cutter head, the earth chips being then exchausted from the pit together with the fluid.

M1116 States atem Matsushita McAdams..........................

Moran et a1.

[ 4] APPARATUS FOR BORING A PIT Inventor: Kunijiro Matsushita, Toyokawa,

Japan [73] Assignee: Kumagai Gumi Company Limited, Fukui-shi, Japan Mar. 28, 1973 [22] Filed:

Primary Examiner-David H. Brown 21 Appl No.: 345,806

Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Ladas, Parry, Von Gehr, Goldsmith & Deschamps [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 11, 1972 146,202 1/1874 P0111162............1............... 175 212 x 2 Uaims, 8 ng Fig res 3,8lA2l PATENIguom 1 51974 SHEET 16F 2 PATENTEBUEI 1 5x974 sum 2 2 Eli APPARATUS FOR BORING A PIT The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for boring a pit and more particularly to such a method and apparatus in which earth chips are efficiently removed from a pit surface.

The term pit as used herein includes a vertical bore formed in the earth as well as a tunnel and underground drift. Conventionally, in forming a pit in the earth, chis produced in boring work have been taken out of the pit utilizing the action of earth boring machine and air lift means. The earth boring machine includes cutter means which can to a certain degree agitate the materials around the pit surface and the air lift means applies further agitation to the materials and draws them under vacuum from the pit. However, according to the convention method, it is very difficult to take all earth chips off the whole area of the pit surface.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to eliminate the aforementioned disasdvantage of the conventional method.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for boring a pit in the earth, in which all earth chips can be removed from pit surface.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method for boring a pit in which pressurized fluid is discharged toward pit surface to remove earth chips from the pit surface, and the earth chips are taken out of the pit together with said fluid.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus comprising a cylindrical body, a cutter head rotatably mounted on one end of said cylndrical body and having cutter means provided thereon, means for driving said cutter head, fluid spray nozzle means having a plurality of nozzles directed substantially axially outwardly of said body, means for supplying fluid under pressure to said nozzle means, and air lift means for exhausting fluid from the pit. In one embodiment, the nozzle means is provided axially inwardly of the cutter head and stationary secured t said body. According to another embodiment, the nozzle means is provided in said cutter head.

The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions of the preferred embodiments taking reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the present inventron;

FIG. 2 is a crosssectional viewi taken substantially along the line Il II in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along the line llIIII in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view particularly showing fluid spray nozzle arrangements in the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view similar to FIG. 1 but showing another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 5 taken substantially along the line VIVl in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 5 taken substantially along the line VII- --VII in FIG. 5; and,

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view particularly showing fluid spray nozzle arrangement in the appasratus shown in FIG. 5.

Referring to the drawings particularly to FIGS. 1 through 3, there is shown an apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus includes a cylindrical body 10 and a cutter head 12 which has a drive shaft 14 co-axially and rotatably supported in said body 10 by support bearing arms 18. The drive shaft 14 extendsupwardly through a platform 15 located on the ground and is connected to a drive means 16 on the platform 15. The cutter head 12 has radially extending cutter blade supporting spider arms 22, each of which supports a plurality of cutter blades 20 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Just behind the cutter head 12, there is disposed in the body 10 a fluid spray nozzle ring 30 having aplurality of downwardly directed nozzle openings 24. The nozzle ring 30 is suit-.

ably secured to the body 10 and connected through a plurality of vertical conduits 28 to a pressurized water supply tube 26. In the body 10, there are also disposed a pair of lift pipes 31, each having a lower end opened behind the cutter head 12 and an upper end opened through a flexible pipe 31a to a discharge spot on the ground, an air supply conduiti 32 is connected to the lower end portion of each of the air lift pipes 31 and supplies pressurized air into the pipe 31 so as to produce an upwardly directed fluid flow therein. A water supply pipe 34 opens to the interior of the body 10 for supplying water to fill the pit formed by the apparatus.

In operationn of the apparatus, water is continuously supplied through. the water supply pipe 34 into the body 10 so that the inteerior of the body 10 is filled by water to a level as shown by the reference numeral 355 in FIG. I. At the same time, the drive means 16 is energized to drive the cutter head 12 through the drive shaft 14, and water is supplied under pressure through the conduits 26 and 28 into the nozzle ring 30 and then discharged downwardly through the nozzle openings 24. Further, pressurized air is supplied through the conduits 32 to the lower ends of the air lift pipes 31 to form upward fluid flow therein. Thus, the cutter blades 20 mounted on the supporting arms 22 of the cutter head 12 cut the earth to form a pit and the earth chips thus formed are entrained in turbulent water flow formed by the water spray around the cutter head 12. The turbulent water flow containing the earth chips are then drawn into the air lift pipes 31 and transported upwardly therethrough to be discharged on the ground. Thus, according to the illustrated arrangement, it is possible to effectively remove earth chips from the pit surface. Therefore, the efficiency of the apparatus can be remarkably increased.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 through 6, there is shown a second embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus shown in FIGS. 4 through 6 includes a cylindrical body as in the previous embodiment. A cutter head 112 is disposed at one end of the body 110 and has a drive shaft 114 which co-axially extends through the body 110 and rotatably supported by support bearing arms 118. The drive shaft 114 further extends upwardly through a platform 115 provided on the ground and is connected to a drive means 116 on the platform 115. As in the previous embodiment, the cutter head 112 has a plurality of radially extending arms 122 and a plurality of cutter blades 120 are mounted on alternate ones of the arms 122. According to the illustrated embodiment, the remaining ones of the arms 122 are provided with a plurality of nozzle openings 124 which are connected, through a water passage 136a formed in each of the arms 122 having the nozzle openings 124 and a water conduit 136 provided in said drive shaft 114, to a pressurized water supply pipe 126. As in the previous embodiment, a pair of air lift pipes 131 are disposed in said body 110 with one end of each pipe opening just behind the cutter head 112. The other end of each pipe 131 opens through a flexible pipe 131a to the discharging spot on the ground. A pressurized or compressed air supply tube 132 is connected to the lower end portion of each of the air lift pipe 131 for supplying compressed air to the pipe 131 to form an upward fluid flow therein. A water conduit 134 is further provided for continuously supplying water to fill ,the pit and the interior of the body 110 to a level as shown by the reference numeral 135. The operation of the second embodiment is substantially similasr to the previous embodiment, so that the descriptions of the operation of the apparatus will be omitted.

The invention has thus been shown and described with reference to particular embodiments, however, it should be noted that the invention is in no way limited to the details of the illustrated structures but various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

1 claim:

1. An apparatus for boring a pit in earth comprising in ccombination a cylindrical hollow body a rotary cutting means having a cutter head (12) projecting over the bottom end of said hollow body and a drive shaft (14) coaxially extending through said hollow body from the center of said cutter head, said drive shaft being rotably supported at the lower portion thereof by bearing means (18) secured to said hollow body, said cutter head having radially extending spider arms (22) which supports a plurality of cutter blades motor means (16) connected to said drive shaft (14) to rotate said cutter head, water spray nozzle means including a circular tube disposed at the adjacent upper area of said cutter head and formed with a plruality of nozzle openings (24) directed substantially downwardly for discharging a water jet through said spider arms and water conduit means (28) disposed in the interior of said hollow body for conducting saids circular tube to a source of pressurized water disposed on the ground, an air lift pipe (31) having one end open adjacent the upper area of said cutter head and the other end communicating with a discharging spot on the ground, an air supply conduit (32) connected at one end to the lower portion of said air lift pipe and at the other end to a source of pressurized air, and a water supply pipe (34) for supplying water to the interior of said hollow body.

2. An apparatus for boring a pit in earth comprising in combination a cylindrical hollow body a rotary cutting means having a cutter head (112) projecting over the bottom end of said hollow body and a drive shaft (114) coaxially extending through said hollow body from the center of said cutter head, said drive shaft being rotatably supported at the lower portion thereof by bearing means (118) secured to said hollow body, said cutter head having a plurality of radially extending spider arms (122), alternate ones of said arms having cutter blades thereon and each of the re maining ones of said arms having nozzle openings (124) and a pasage (a) formed therein, said drive shaft having therein an axially extending passage (136) which is connected at one end to a source of pressurized water and at the other end to said passage (136a) in said arms to introduce the pressurized water to said nozzle opening there'through, said nozzle means being directed substantially downwardly for discharging a water jet into said pit, an air lift pipe (131) having one end open at adjacent upper area of said cutter head and the other end communicating with a discharging spot on the ground, an air supply conduit (132) connected at one end to the lower portion of said air lift pipe and at the other end to a source of pressurized air, and a water supply pipe (34) for supplying water to the inte- Patent No. 3,841,421 Dated October 15, 1974 Inventor) MATSUSHITA, Kunijiro It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Correct the Japanese application number in the priority claim of line g of the cover sheet of the above identified patent from I Nov. 11, 1972 Japan 9 Q 47-112528 to read Nov, 11,'197.2 Japan 47-'ll25 6 8.

Signed and sealed this 11th day of March 1975,

(SEAL) Attest: I

C. MARSHALL DANN RUTH Cu MASON Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer and Trademarks 

1. An apparatus for boring a pit in earth comprising in ccombination a cylindrical hollow body (10), a rotary cutting means having a cutter head (12) projecting over the bottom end of said hollow body and a drive shaft (14) coaxially extending through said hollow body from the center of said cutter head, said drive shaft being rotably supported at the lower portion thereof by bearing means (18) secured to said hollow body, said cutter head having radially extending spider arms (22) which supports a plurality of cutter blades (20), motor means (16) connected to said drive shaft (14) to rotate said cutter head, water spray nozzle means including a circular tube (30) disposed at the adjacent upper area of said cutter head and formed with a plruality of nozzle openings (24) directed substantially downwardly for discharging a water jet through said spider arms and water conduit means (28) disposed in the interior of said hollow body for conducting saids circular tube to a source of pressurized water disposed on the ground, an air lift pipe (31) having one end open adjacent the upper area of said cutter head and the other end communicating with a discharging spot on the ground, an air supply conduit (32) connected at one end to the lower portion of said air lift pipe and at the other end to a source of pressurized air, and a water supply pipe (34) for supplying water to the interior of said hollow body.
 2. An apparatus for boring a pit in earth comprising in combination a cylindrical hollow body (110), a rotary cutting means having a cutter head (112) projecting over the bottom end of said hollow body and a drive shaft (114) coaxially extending through said hollow body from the center of said cutter head, said drive shaft being rotatably supported at the lower portion thereof by bearing means (118) secured to said hollow body, said cutter head having a plurality of radially extending spider arms (122), alternate ones of said arms having cutter blades (120) thereon and each of the remaining ones of said arms having nozzle openings (124) and a pasage (135a) formed therein, said drive shaft having therein an axially extending passage (136) which is connected at one end to a source of pressurized water and at the other end to said passage (136a) in said arms to introduce the pressurized water to said nozzle opening therethrough, said nozzle means being directed substantially downwardly for discharging a water jet into said pit, an air lift pipe (131) having one end open at adjacent upper area of said cutter head and the other end communicating with a discharging spot on the ground, an air supply conduit (132) connected at one end to the lower portion of said air lift pipe and at the other end to a source of pressurized air, and a water supply pipe (34) for supPlying water to the interior of said hollow body. 